


Guard Duty

by Spaghetti4U



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Despair Disease (Dangan Ronpa), Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sleepy Cuddles, Spoilers, focuses on Hinata & Komaeda, takes place in chapter 3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-02 18:44:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14551020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spaghetti4U/pseuds/Spaghetti4U
Summary: This is the first morning since the Despair Disease has affected three of his classmates, after they have decided to split up in two groups, Hinata asks Kuzuryuu if they can do anything to help the Ultimate Nurse, like for instance watch over the patients...





	Guard Duty

* * *

Hinata had just arrived at the hospital when he saw Kuzuryuu in the middle of the room, looking like he was waiting for something.

The blondie rose his head when he heard the footsteps to look at the new comer. His expression was neutral which was reassuring and at the same time worrying.  
Without a smile he greeted him simply saying:  
"Apparently Owari gets some sort of crying-disease, meaning she won't stop complaining until she gets better.  Mioda has the weirdest one, I actually didn't really understand, it seems she will do anything you ask but that aside, it looks like it's not that bad, so I guess she is fine.” he made a little pause before adding:  
“Tsumiki told me Komaeda has some sort of mythomaniac syndrome. Basically, everything he says is a lie, weird, huh?”  
Hinata was relieved he got to hear about his friends’ conditions so soon, Kuzuryuu made it sound as if the situation weren’t so concerning. He got closer to him and replied with some curiosity in his tone: "Everything?"  
"Yeah like, go ask him about the weather or whatever and he will just answer bullshit. I don't know." he simply continued.  
Hinata seemed lost in his thoughts for a moment, his fingers getting wrapped around his chin he eventually spoke again, almost whispering:  
"I see, and how is his condition?"  
The answer was slow, at least that was how Hinata felt it.  
"Quite bad I guess, at least worse than the other two’s, Tsumiki almost never leaves his side, must be exhausting." He sighed, as if he could feel her exhaustion. Those words made Hinata’s heartbeat slow down. If Komaeda’s state was this bad, Tsumiki probably didn’t have much rest for sure. Was he feeling this sick? Could they even treat something like that? Tsumiki was the Ultimate Nurse, not the Ultimate Doctor after all, even though she was the most qualified here, Hinata felt a little bad to let her handle this burden alone, especially since it was Komaeda they were talking about, he could be saying anything right now. At least if he had enough strength for that. That thought made his blood go cold.  
He spoke up again, clearly not confident about of what he was about to say:  
"... Hey shouldn't we... help her a bit?" Kuzuryuu looked at him with a dumbfounded face.  
"Huh? What do you mean? Neither of us has any medical knowledge as far as I know, we would just get in her way." Kuzuryuu's tone was explicitly showing he was annoyed by the sudden offer, he clearly didn’t want to help her, or he strongly believed he couldn’t. Hinata inhaled.  
"No that's not what I meant... we could… look after Komaeda while she rests..." the reply was calm but Hinata didn't bother to hide the fact that he was a little uncomfortable because of Kuzuryuu's straightforward answer.  
"You mean switching place with her and stay with Komaeda? No way man, this dude gives me the creeps." Although he couldn’t argue with that, Hinata felt slightly irritated by his lack of motivation. Okay, Komaeda could be hard to deal with sometimes… Well, most of the time, but someone had to take care of him while he was in that state, right? They couldn’t just let Tsumiki bear it all, especially if they were able to help, even just a little.  
"Fine I'll do it. I guess I am the closest person to Komaeda here anyway. So… this... should be fine." Hinata wasn't even sure of what he was saying but it seemed right at the moment. Kuzuryuu looked almost impressed.  
"Damn, good luck man.", was the last thing he heard him say before he entered the hospital's corridor.

  
Hinata didn't really know why he was here now, in this white allay that obviously made him sick. Well, it would make anyone feel sick.  
He was trying to organize his thoughts as he stepped closer to the second door, leading to _the_ room, if the nameplates were correct.  
He was about to put his hand on the doorknob but he suddenly felt his strength fly away from his body as his memory reminded him of a strangely analogous situation.  
Few days ago, he was standing, in the exact same position, in front of a door which made him ridiculously uncomfortable. Actually, the doors weren't the problem of course, but mostly what was beyond them.  
In both cases a Komaeda was waiting for him to enter.  
In both cases the Komaeda probably knew he would come.  
In both cases this Komaeda was in a weird position, sick or tied up.  
In both cases, Hinata knew he would have to face those looks, those words, those weird demands that just made him want to run away as fast as possible.  
So why did he offer Kuzuryuu to go see _him_ in the first place? Wait, he could go back after all, it’s not as if Kuzuryuu would blame him for that right? And he was the only one to know. In the worst case scenario he could just lie and tell him Tsumiki rejected the offer. He would never know the truth because he didn’t care enough about that in the first place, right?  
He didn't realize he was standing here for several seconds until Mikan Tsumiki opened the door almost bumping into him.  
Hinata only heard a small cry Tsumiki made before stepping away, embarrassed to have been found out in this compromising situation.  
"T-Tsumiki what are you doing here?"  
... Crap. He was in the hospital. In front Komaeda's room. In which he knew Tsumiki would be because she was taking care of him. And this was the only thing he said.  
Hinata felt so stupid, at this time that he couldn't imagine the situation to get more ridiculous.  
"H-Hum, g-good morning Hinata-san. I was checking Komaeda-san state of health...!"she was looking away visibly uncomfortable for no apparent reason. Oh, he was lucky that Tsumiki was this forgiving, or at least this oblivious.  
The silent felt too long for both of them. Once she had closed the door (to Hinata's biggest joy), she continued:  
"W-What about you Hinata-san. Do y-you need something?", she was giving the best smile she could despite her tension and exhaustion.  
"Oh... I just wanted to... see how you were doing I guess.", this wasn't really a lie, but this wasn't really the truth either. He just didn't know how to bring the subject. A dark blush formed on her face, Hinata would have thought he said something weird for anyone else, but the nurse was known to blush anytime someone talked to her, so he ignored it.  
"I-I'm okay thank you!" she squeaked, both surprised and happy by Hinata's worry. As the later wasn't saying anything she added, almost for herself:  
"It's q-quite tiring. I spent the whole night looking after Komaeda-san. His condition is stable for now, but I’m worried it might get worse while I am g-gone...", here she was, panicking again in front of Hinata.  
Something usual, he thought. But it wasn't the time to think about Tsumiki's unhealthy habits. Here was his chance to offer his help.  
"I see... Tsumiki you should get some rest for now.", once again his hand was around his chin but this time it was more for the show than anything.  
"B-b-but what if Komaeda-san's condition gets worse and I am not here?" the answer was almost instant and Hinata heard those little cries again.  
He knew he had to be more specific about what he meant.  
"I'll just... look after him while you rest. And the others too, of course. So don't worry.", it turned out a little lame but whatever, what was said was said.  
"H-Hinata-san..! B-but what if you get sick?" the reply was honest. Too honest that Hinata felt bad for knowing a part of him wasn't doing it to help Tsumiki. He didn't know what this part of himself wanted though.  
"I won't.", and even if he did, he was the one who had accepted to stay in the hospital group in the first place, and the one who had carried Komaeda unconscious over here, so taking the risk was just a formality by now, he tried to give her his best smile and to sound confident to make her worry go away. It was one thing he could do for her after all, he even thought about patting her shoulder, but he figured it would be a contact too familiar for the Ultimate Nurse.  
"B-but", it almost sounded like a complain.  
"It's gonna be fine Tsumiki. If I spot anything weird about one of them I will immediately come see you, okay?", he was a little pushy... He wondered why he was feeling impatient.  
When she finally started to relax Hinata knew he had won this round.  
"T-t-thank you Hinata-san..!  
Then I'll be upstairs if you need me !!", she almost shouted. She waved at him awkwardly and moved in direction of the stairs.  
"Sure, rest well Tsumiki." he felt relieved, without knowing why. It wasn't like convincing her was hard or that he had any reason to be disappointed if she even refused. He would have just hang out with Kuzuryuu if it were the case. So, he wondered why he was so satisfied when he saw Tsumiki go away.  
That thought was washed away when his gaze wandered to the door. This door again. His old enemy.  It seemed to him that he was battling against his long-life rival in a merciless duel.  
Eventually he managed to catch the doorknob. He almost needed to regain his breath after overcoming this gigantic task.  
He couldn't focus on one thought at time. That's probably why his movements were so clumsy, showing his struggle against this internal conflict. But at least he was moving. And the fact of being totally unconcentrated helped him to not apprehend too much what was behind the door.  
"Oh well, here I go."  
Finally it was open. Now he had to coordinate his body and mind as fast as possible. If he were struggling to enter in the room in front of anyone, sick or not, it would have been the most damaging thing for his reputation. He didn't even know if Komaeda was looking at him or even heard him coming, after all he was looking at the ground. But he couldn't risk it, not to mention that Komaeda seemed to be able to read Hinata's mind most of the time.  
He took a quick breath and closed the door, as casually as possible, but at the same time he tried to make as little noise as he could, just in case (a miracle situation) Komaeda was sleeping.  
Just thinking about closing a door "casually" made Hinata shiver. A normal person would never try to close a door " _casually_ ".  
Ah… he was losing it again.  
He was next to the door for too long now, he had to move forward.  
He started by rising his head, he knew he had to do it at some point, so he figured the sooner the better. Not to mention that walking toward the bed, head bowed would have been totally weird.  
Surprisingly, Komaeda wasn't the first thing to catch his attention, maybe he unconsciously moved his gaze away from him.  
The first thing to catch his eyes were the walls. As white as he was expecting, if the lights were brighter, it would have been awful. Then he looked at some pictures on the wall itself, it was probably here to give some life to the room but the fact that they were just two tiny frames just made it even lonelier. He noticed right after some medical equipment, but he didn't bother guessing what they were used for, he would probably get it wrong anyway.  
Finally he locked his gaze on the window, the curtains were open. The sight of horizon was blocked by a white tuft.  
He froze when he heard a voice cracking:  
"Hinata-kun..." the voice was painful as if the other was struggling to talk, yet neutral.  
Hinata looked at the voice's owner, sitting in his bed with visible difficulty. He was looking into Hinata's eyes.  
"Koma-", it was a weak way to say his name, almost as if he were caught off guards while he was the one who shouldn't be here.  
"What are you doing here?" it was more confident and surprisingly cold. Totally different from the almost sensual voice he remembered from when he last came to visit a "behind the door" Komaeda. Hinata would have almost been hurt if he didn't see his face at this time. He was red. A way redder than before. He was sweating but at the same time trembling. His hair was a mess, much more than usual. He looked exhausted, even more than Tsumiki. All the bitter Hinata felt at the moment melted right away. He didn't know what to say in front of such a pitiful spectacle.  
He only stepped closer to Komaeda.  
_Not good._ He thought for himself. _I shouldn't be this affected by his state._ He had to play it cool.  
"I came here to replace Tsumiki. So just pretend you are alone or whatever. I won't disturb you."  
Hinata immediately realized his mistake as he was sitting on the chair next to bed. _He is going to say something embarrassing._ All kind of weird, explicit answers were racing in his mind. _What should I do, alone in this room? Ooh, you won't disturb me no matter what I do? It's so lonely here, I wish someone was here to keep me company._ Things like that.  
Truthfully if the Komaeda in front of him was the same as "tied-up" Komaeda that would have happened. Yet he simply said:  
"While I know someone like me should be looked after very carefully, I have to say I am quite disappointed you are the one in charge of that." he was still looking at Hinata, at least trying to. Hinata blinked.  
"Huh... yeah.", he didn't know what to say but that. He was surprised. Maybe also relieved and at the same time disappointed that he was (again) wrong. He couldn't figure which one.  
"I don't like seeing you right now." Komaeda's voice was filled with disgust but Hinata couldn't find it on his face. He was lost. Komaeda never said those things before. He couldn't find anything to reply. He was just sitting fixing Komaeda.  
"Don't get so close to me."  
Silence.  
"Go away."

Hinata swallowed.

“Can’t you hear me?”  
That was pissing him a little.  
He tried to organize his feelings, convincing himself to stay calm, it was just a side effect of the disease after all. He started, very carefully, trying not to sound annoyed, because he just couldn’t be like this when the other was sick:  
"Listen Komaeda, if I go at the opposite side of the room things will just get more awkward so I am staying here." his voice was neutral, he was pretty proud of it. He even managed to make the tension in his shoulders go away.  
Komaeda looked into Hinata's eyes once again. He never actually stopped but it was more intense this time.  
"Don't talk to me."  
"Don't talk to me either then!" it was so natural when it came out he even stood up little, bringing one hand to his chest. Hinata realized his calm façade had only been a mask. He could see a hint of surprise in Komaeda eyes. He felt guilty for shouting against him. He immediately sat down again.  
_God I know he is lying but it's hard to keep cool._ He rested his head in one hand. He couldn't just look at Komaeda right now. Should he apologize?  
"Hinata-kun... Why are you here?", his voice was softer, it made Hinata tense up, nevertheless it was still as cold as ice. Rising his head a little to face the patient, he let out a tiny sight:  
"I told you already.", Hinata put some annoyance in his tone on purpose, to avoid any more conversation. It wasn't a good idea to discuss with a sick Komaeda. "Now get some rest… You need it.” he gently put one hand on Komaeda shoulder inviting him to lay down instead of sitting here, obviously freezing.  
He followed the lead and soon his head was resting on the pillow. He was facing Hinata, still looking at him.  
He had to admit he was surprised that Komaeda didn't struggle when offered him to lay down. Then again, he probably didn't have the force to struggle in the first place.  
Komaeda broke the silence again:  
"Is it Tsumiki-san who forced you to be here?" his voice was calm as if he were whispering, Hinata could even hear genuine curiosity in it.  
"No one forced me to do anything. Sleep." it was much more comfortable like this, much more like usual, Hinata successfully held back a little relieved smile. He put the blankets over Komaeda shoulders to make sure he wouldn’t get colder.  
Komaeda looked at him for a long time after he had done that. At least it looked like a long time for Hinata. His expression was unreadable, but he felt embarrassed just by feeling the gaze on his skin. What was he thinking about? This had become an usual question for Hinata. He never knew what the white-haired boy was thinking about.  
"... Your presence disgusts me." it was soft, almost too soft to be heard, but Hinata heard it anyway. Maybe he should have been, but he wasn't bother by the remark. It was the first time he heard Komaeda sound genuinely lost, he had to admit it made him a little happy.  
As far as he was concerned, he wasn't regretting his choice yet. Even if the first steps were kind of chaotic, watching over of Komaeda had something... entertaining even pleasing to be frank, he got to learn new sides of him, and not frightening ones.  
"Stop talking." it was even harder to hide the smile in his tone now.  
Komaeda's hand, which was still visible outside the blanket, slightly squeezed the sheets. He seemed hesitant for some reasons. After some seconds of calm silence his voice was heard again:  
"I would hate it if you get even closer."  
  
Hinata's heartbeat stopped for a second, he was sure of it. Once again, all the control he had over the situation was swiped away by Komaeda. It was not the first time, probably not the last either. He should have known by now that it would have ended up like this. But it was too late.  
"H-hey are you always that noisy?" was the only thing he could think about saying. Maybe it would be enough to stop him.  
He instinctively brought his hand to his mouth to cover the blush that was forming on his cheeks.  
"...Like if you touched me.", he just added that with his voice calm as always. But his eyes seemed to Hinata like burning, still locked to his. Hinata clenched his fists around his knees. Was he supposed to keep it together and pretend everything was just fine if Komaeda was saying _that_ to him with _those_ eyes?  
"I-I won't so relax." he couldn't hide anymore how flustered he was, and the blush was more intense. He couldn't understand why he was so affected by Komaeda’s words, but it was an undeniable truth.  
"It would be the worst. I absolutely don't want that to happen...", his voice was definitely too calm for this. Even if Hinata didn't know the syndromes of his diseases he would have shivered hearing that, of course, a normal person would never say that if they were being serious. Then again Komaeda wasn't a "normal person".  
Frankly Hinata was lost. He couldn't understand what Komaeda wanted him to do, or what he wanted to do. He was so specific and at the same time so vague. The way he looked at Hinata was so explicit and at the same time so innocent. As innocent as a sick person could be. He barely stopped trembling under the blankets, Hinata couldn't just get mad at him for playing with him right now. To be frank, he didn't even know if he was playing with him or not. The simple action of considering his demand made Hinata a little dizzy.  
But it was clear that Komaeda wasn't going to stop his advances until he got what he wanted, whatever it was, so Hinata had better make the first move he figured. He didn't bother thinking about how pushy he was today, he just told himself that sick people were capricious. So that would explain why he was asking for him to… huh… get closer? He could endure that for one hour or two... Without thinking about it twice, because he was already tired he let out a long sight:  
"Uuugh... fine, fine, just give me your hand and shut up!" he wasn't sure about what he was about to do or if it would work stopping Komaeda from talking but he could give it a try.  
Surprisingly again Komaeda gave his hand pretty easily. His disease was only affecting what he said and not his actions he concluded.  
Hinata seemed to be hesitating a second before gently resting his hand over Komaeda's, squeezing it just enough to make the contact as warm as possible without being too intrusive. Could holding hands be intrusive? Hinata washed away this useless question, scanning Komaeda's reaction. He wasn't looking at Hinata anymore. Instead he was looking at his hand... well, at their hands. He didn't say anything but Hinata could hear him breathing faster, his body temperature was really high, not so surprising since his fever was really bad, but at least the back of his hand wasn't sweaty, so it was comfortable enough to hold.  
After few second Komaeda's breath had slowed down. Hinata was starting to get used to this position even appreciating it a little. It was true that seeing Komaeda so calm and not plotting anything was somehow satisfying.  
This is moment Komaeda choose to move his hand. Well not exactly moving but returning it, so that he could also hold Hinata's hand. Now it was sweaty and felt a way less comfortable, Hinata was about to make a face, but seeing Komaeda's expression, looking so happy, he didn't say anything.  
They were just here, holding hands in silence, Komaeda on the bed, Hinata next to him on the chair.  
He didn't know how long he was supposed to stay like this. Although it didn't bother him that much, he could already feel his back hurting a little from his position. He wasn't sure he could stay here without moving for too long.  
As he was lost in his thoughts he realized Komeada's gaze moved from their hands to his eyes again. He was probably fixing him for few seconds now.  
Hinata swallowed his saliva, tensing again, his grip around Komaeda's hand becoming slightly tighter.  
"H-hey stop looking at me it's embarrassing." he only said, trying not to look away.  
"I don't like it."  
"Yeah, yeah, just sleep you need to rest, I won't move so don't worry."  
"Yes, I can sleep right now."  
"Why ?"  
"Because I don't care if you are touching me or not."  
"Then I should just let go your hand."  
"Yes !" he stood up a little before shivering due to the sudden move.  
This whole conversation made no sense.  
"Fine, I won't, just try to rest already." his voice was softer than usual, he wanted appease him, after teasing him like this, that was, at least, one thing he could do to apologize.  
  
After some moment had passed, Komaeda sounded asleep, still holding Hinata's hand.  
He didn't know how much time he had spent here but he decided that he needed to move a little, his back was really hurting right now.  
He made sure the other boy was sleeping and then started to move as slowly as possible to not wake him up. As he turned away, his hand already feeling cold from the loss of contact, he felt someone grabbing his wrist. Well it's not like if he didn't know who this someone was.  
"Where are you going?" the voice was cracking again, from this much time without talking.  
"Did I wake you up?"  
"Yes, I was asleep."  
"You were pretending, huh. I am just going to check the others. I'll be back soon." Komaeda breath looked like a clumsy sight.  
"I can't understand why would want to check them, but, it's better for me, just go away, your presence here annoys me." His hand was still grabbing his wrist. Hinata smiled a little.  
"Komaeda... let go my hand."  
"Just don't come back."  
"I have to go now."  
"Ever."  
Hinata turned away to face him and put both hands on Komaeda's shoulders, close enough to his neck, he was boiling. He looked at him with serious and honest eyes and said:  
"I'll be back soon, just wait here okay?"  
Komaeda tensed up under the contact, visibly surprised and maybe something else, but soon enough he looked defeated and slightly turned away from Hinata. He closed his eyes pretending he was asleep again. Hinata took that as a sign of being allowed to leave.  
  
He stepped away from the room as quick and silent as he could be. Some part of him wanted to be fast, probably to make sure Komaeda wasn't doing anything weird alone. Probably.  
He spent more time than he imagined in Owari's room. The girl grabbed him when she saw him, crying all the tears she could possibly hold. Managing to get away wasn't simple as she always found another reason to complain. She was so loud that he was sure even Tsumiki, what was he saying, everyone in the motel, could hear her. Yet he had to admit she looked much better than Komaeda, she was able to move around a lot. She was probably bothered but Hinata had to go too.  
Surprisingly Mioda was much easier to "get under control". She was totally different from her usual self and even seemed to listen to Hinata's words very carefully. It was definitely weird. Thankfully she looked fine too, so Hinata told himself he could leave her alone.  
When he finally finished his round he went to the second room again, with much more ease than the first time. He must have been gone for about twenty minutes, since escaping from Owari’s room had proven to be a complicated task.  
Komaeda didn't open his eyes when he heard the sound of the door, Hinata couldn't tell if he was asleep or not.  
He moved toward his seat, well technically it wasn't _his_ but he liked that idea for some reason, and started to look at Komaeda again.  
He was a little surprised when he saw a hand popping out of the blankets reaching toward him. _So he wasn't asleep, huh?_  
Without thinking once again Hinata took the hand, the same way as before. Then Komaeda opened his eyes to look at him, _again_. Hinata noticed he had some hair upon his eyes. With his other hand he moved them away, fingers barely touching Komaeda's head. He gently sighted:  
"You really don't want to rest, do you?", his tone was awkwardly soft, and he didn't bother to hide his smile this time.  
Wait. Since when was he so affectionate with Komaeda? Something was wrong, something was _definitely wrong_ with him today _._ Maybe he had catch the Despair Disease too? No, he wasn't feeling bad, nor feverish, and except for that, his behaviour was definitely the same.  
Both of them were looking into each other's eyes, obviously confused by Hinata's sudden action, asking themselves tons of questions.  
Eventually Hinata moved his hand away and let out an unsure apology, looking away. Komaeda gently squeezed the hand he was holding in return.  
  
He was definitely weird today. Maybe that was because he wasn't used to take care of someone sick? Well, he wasn't really _taking care_ of him, he was just watching over him. It's not like if he could do anything if Komaeda's state worsened in front of him except calling for Tsumiki. But it was still nice to be honest, and it seemed to him as if Komaeda was enjoying his presence and, well, even if it was Komaeda it was still a warm feeling to be able to help or even be needed by someone.  
At this time, he started to wonder what would have happen if Komaeda wasn't the one in front of him right now. If it was someone else, anyone.  
Would he still be here? Well probably, because he wanted to let Tsumiki rest. He thought. Then would he have been stuck to this person's room like he was now? Or would he even have accepted to hold their hand? Hinata felt some heat on his cheeks. Yeah, he figured he wouldn't hold anyone's hand, sick or not. Several examples came to his mind like Soda, Kuzuryuu, Nidai, even someone like Owari would have embarrassed him much more. He couldn't say he _wasn't embarrassed_ by Komaeda's request, but he gave in pretty easily. Maybe it was because it was him. It was almost natural for Komaeda to be pushy with Hinata... in his own way to be pushy but still.  
That was something he didn't like about him. No matter how many times Hinata repeated himself he hated him, and he was scared of him, he still liked the time spent with him, he still tried to understand him. Usually he would end up running away before he could make any progress in his task, but he would always end up coming back at some point.  
A taste of bitterness formed in his mouth. Thinking about that now wasn't probably the best idea. He should enjoy the moment, the only time he was spending with Komaeda without being flustered beyond a critical point.  
  
It was not a surprise for Hinata to realize that Komaeda was still looking at him when his senses came back to reality.  
He was obviously not resting at all, he was too concentrate fixing him. With much more intensity than before. Hinata let out a light sight:  
"Komaeda, what do you want?" he tried to sound bothered but it wasn't really a success this time.  
"Nothing."  
Was that even worthy to point out the fact he was lying right now?  
"Tell me." his voice was calm yet strict. Hinata thought it was the best way to make him speak.  
"You would like it too much." he looked away as he said that, slightly biting his lower lip, avoiding any eye contact. Hinata could feel the grip tighten around his hand. Was he embarrassed?  
"What?" Hinata was genuinely confused and, to be honest, a little curious. What could Komaeda possibly want this time?  
"It would be the best thing you ever experienced."  
"You are literally making no sense right now."  
"If you did something like _that_ with someone like _me_ you would be a way too happy." his voice was softer and it seemed like he took a special care in insisting on some words. It was a way too equivocal for Hinata's taste. He felt a weight forming in his chest and a weird sensation growing inside his stomach. He frowned. He didn't like the fact he didn't know what Komaeda was talking about because he could imagine tons of things right now. _Tons of different things_. His grip around Komaeda's hand tightened too.  
This move caught Komaeda's attention, he was looking at him again.  
"Hey, just tell me already." he was frowning and tried to sound confident. He couldn't allow his mind to wander like this.  
Komaeda looked like he was struggling, unsure if he should talk or not. That was irritating. Once again, he was playing with Hinata.  
"That... would be the worst if Hinata-kun decided to get even closer to me right now..."

There it was. Hinata froze, he was expecting that, but it was still strangely effective on him. Komaeda's voice was so soft, so needy that he had the impression it was killing him.  
He swallowed his saliva trying to hide his shiver:  
"What... do you want me to do?" he was almost whispering again. He couldn't believe he was playing along with Komaeda. He couldn't believe he hadn't run away yet. He couldn't believe he wanted to know what would happen next.  
"If... Hinata-kun started to hug me I would most certainly die."  
Hinata couldn't focus on hiding his emotions for now. He was overwhelmed by the request, by the way it was asked, by the way Komaeda was looking at him. He hated to admit that he was almost mesmerized, as if some kind of invisible force locked him to Komaeda.  
"You are... huh... really needy when you are sick... aren't you...?" the most impressive thing about what he just said was the lack of confidence. _Not cool at all._ He thought. Komaeda didn't answer he was scanning Hinata. He wondered if he could see how embarrassed he was even with his disease.  
Hinata was teared apart right now. Some part of told him that hugging someone sick was really the worst idea he could have but...  
Hinata just couldn't imagine himself _hugging_ Komaeda. His heart was beating like crazy right now. That would have been too weird, too unnatural, too... _much_.  
How would he explain it if anyone came to see Komaeda at this peculiar time? _Hey, I was cold so yeah, it sounded like a good idea_? With Komaeda beside him who would be complaining about how disgusted he was even thought he was lying? Clearly suspicious. Wait, what if he was really disgusted by Hinata hugging him in the first place? That could happen. After all, it wasn't like if they had experienced that before, right?  
As Hinata was lost in his thoughts once again, it seemed it was the only he managed to do today, he didn't really realize he had slightly stood up and put his free hand on the mattress supporting his weight with his arms. Now his face was above Komaeda's closer than ever this day. They were looking at each other, breathless, none of them knew what they were going to do next, whether it was themselves or the other.  
"Hey... Komaeda... move a little." it was short, clumsy, as if it was just a breath.  
Komaeda probably took the offer as a way to escape this awkward situation, _it wasn't_ , and moved away leaving more space between him and Hinata. He felt kind of bad for Komaeda who was sick and probably as lost as he was, but then again, he was the one who initiated the... thing.  
Hinata wasn't holding Komaeda's hand anymore, he had removed it when he had changed his position few seconds ago. He wasn't missing the contact at all since he was about to gain... another type of contact.  
Slowly he sat on the mattress, next to Komaeda. He wasn't looking at him, but he could him breathing extremely fast again.  
He was waiting for Hinata's next move.  
He removed his shoes as silently as he could, to not... break the mood? At least he tried to.  
The next step was to turn away to face Komaeda. He put his right hand on the bed, he could feel a gap caused by Komaeda's weight next to him. He turned a little, avoiding to look at the other boy. He rose his legs to let them rest on the mattress with the rest of his body.  
Eventually he was laying on the bed, he slid to his right side, so he could face Komaeda. As he was expecting the bed was moist because of Komaeda's sweat.  
Now they were looking at each other, both on the bed, without a word, only few centimeters away from the other. Hinata could almost feel Komaeda's breath, or maybe he was just imaging it.  
Whatever was happening right now, it was taking all of Hinata's energy. Looking at Komaeda was ridiculously hard. However, he knew he hadn't finished his mission yet.

He was waiting for something, a sign, an approval, well _anything_ coming from Komaeda. He was just fixing him.  
It wasn't coming.  
Hinata finally decided to move his hand when he was stopped by a weak:  
"Hinata-kun..."  
Then Komaeda seemed to realize he had stopped the motion and simply added looking away:  
"Not s-sorry."  
It was such a shame he was so red, Hinata couldn't see if he was blushing or not.

Hinata swallowed.  
"Komaeda... is it okay if I come any closer ?", it was really difficult, he never once expected to say that in his _fucking_ life, but here he was, asking a sick Komaeda if he could _literally abuse him_. Maybe it was to ease his consciousness, to make him believe that the person in front of him was the one who asked for that, well, _it was_ , so that he had no part of responsibility in what was happening, but he knew he was only trying to fool himself. He was the one who actually accepted a request from someone delirious, he was the one who was moving right now, he was the one talking right now, he was the one who was getting closer right now.  
"No..." it came out as a tiny, weak breath, his fists clenching hard the sheets.  
Hinata felt the weird sensation inside his stomach strike again pushing him to hurry to the other boy's side but he was too focused trying to approach Komaeda as carefully as possible to really pay attention to it.  
Komaeda didn't move while Hinata was getting closer, but he was holding his breath, looking uncomfortable and scanning every single movement he was making.  
Hinata liked this pseudo-control he had over the situation right now. As if he could change Komaeda's gesture, expressions and thoughts as he willed. It was probably wrong he knew that, it was most certainly following Komaeda's plan since the very beginning, it was always like that, but whatever.  
When he was finally close enough to initiate the hug he asked again:  
"Do you want me to... huh... continue?" That sounded lame, so lame it would have probably ruined the mood if it weren’t Komaeda, who seemed to enjoy almost everything Hinata said or did. In fact he said that he liked it, but Hinata couldn't understand why or if he was honest at all, what Komaeda was thinking was still a mystery for him.  
"Don't, it's the worst thing that could ever happen to me..." Komaeda, for the first time today, had closed his eyes while Hinata was here, and at this very moment he looked more vulnerable than ever, that was what Hinata thought at least. His gesture managed to cut Hinata's breath for a second.  
  
Hinata thought for a moment about how he was supposed to hug him. It's not like if he was the _Ultimate Hug-Giver_ anyway.  
He decided that putting his left hand on Komaeda's free hip bone was a great start. He felt the boy shiver under his touch, he opened his eyes again, the expression on his face clearly showed that he wanted more. That was enough to encourage Hinata to keep going.  
Hinata slid his right hand under Komaeda's neck where he met a lot of hair and sweat. _Well that was to be expected I guess_. But the white-haired boy reactions -cut by a little satisfied noise coming from his throat- to the contact were enough to make him to continue. He gently wrapped his fingers around the back of his neck, inviting him to come closer and to rest his head onto Hinata's collar bone. Which he did pretty easily. Hinata could feel Komaeda trembling in his arms but no one said a word. He had stopped clenching the sheets and instead brought his hands to Hinata's shirt. He managed to grab the blankets and to put them over Komaeda's shoulders before putting his hand back to his hip bone.  
It wasn't really comfortable because of Komaeda's condition and he was a little disappointed to not be able to see his face anymore. But hearing Komaeda's breath and heartbeat this close was somehow relaxing despite the awkwardness that Hinata tried to forget. Too relaxing that he closed his own eyes.  
He started to wonder if Komaeda was studying his heartbeat like he was doing, if he was listening to his breath, even if he was wondering too if he was doing the same.

His whole mind was full of Komaeda right now, for better or worse ; without noticing Hinata pulled him a little closer,  
"-nata-kun", was the only thing he heard because the white-haired boy was moaning onto his shirt. But he definitely said it, with _this tone_ again.  
It sent a spike of electricity directly around all of Hinata's body. Strong, soft, refreshing, exhausting, cold and yet terribly arousing.  
He was really blaming himself for getting almost excited by what was happening. He needed to focus on something else, something else than Komaeda whispering his name with his _overflowing affectionate and needy voice._  
"Hey, now that I did what you wanted you should try to sleep." his voice was soft, which was normal considering the nonexistent distance between both of them.  
"I really want to sleep right now." the answer was so simple it made Hinata wonder if he had asked a stupid question.  
"Why not ?", it looked like he was able to communicate with lying-Komaeda now.  
"If I sleep now I won't have to support you hugging me for several minutes.", as he was saying that, he buried his face into Hinata's shirt and clenched his fists a little more, it was harder to understand the end of his sentence because of that.  
Hinata couldn't hold back a little blush as well as an embarrassed laugh. _Did he meant he wants to remember me hugging him? He is embarrassed too? He is acting? Am I being fooled again?  
_ "I did all of that for you to relax and finally rest a little and you weren't even planning on doing that from the very beginning..?"  
He started to gently rise his right hand into Komaeda's hair and pulled his own head closer resting his chin on the other's head as if he was tired.  
"Not sorry Hinata-kun." for the first time today Komaeda was chuckling.  
Despite his condition, his hair was still smelling like shampoo. And God his shampoo smelled good.  
"You are the worst, you know that?" he couldn't and didn't really wanted to hide his smile.  
"I don't."  
Hinata put his left hand further back to reach Komaeda's back and started to softly rub it as if he wanted to cheer him up.  
"Whatever, just rest now."  
"I already told you I can do that."  
"Hey, don't be such a brat, Tsumiki will kill me if she notices your condition is worse due to fatigue and so to me."  
"I did sleep last night so she probably will notice the difference..."  
It was a little harder to get what he meant right now... So apparently, he didn't sleep last night...? It seemed that was what Tsumiki had told him. And because of that she wouldn't realize if he didn't sleep this morning either...? That was probably that.  
"That's not a reason, I would still feel guilty.” There was a little pause, “Besides... if you do manage to rest and feel better Tsumiki will be more willing to let me watch over you again, that's what you want right..?” he was considering his own words, it wouldn’t be that bad to come back, would it?  
“So don't worry, I won't leave after you sleep or anything."  
Komaeda drown his head against Hinata's shirt once again.  
He was moaning his name _again_. Needy _again_. Weakly _again_. As if he were asking something _again_.  
Despite all his efforts Hinata couldn't control the overflowing sensations crushing his body right now.  
Even if he terribly wanted to pull him closer he couldn't, since he was literally glued to him right now. Instead he decided to make sure the blankets well covered Komaeda's shoulders and got a little more comfortable before closing his eyes.  
He could hear his breath, loud since he was sick and his face against his collar bone, yet surprisingly peaceful.  
It seemed to Hinata that he had finally calmed down, that he was actually resting for once, he wasn't talking anymore.  
He looked so fragile curled up in his arms, that Hinata only thought about how he needed someone else company and protection right now. And he was this _someone else_. He wanted to be the only _someone else_.  
He was the one here with Komaeda. He was the one taking care of him. He was the one he needed right now. He was the one he asked all this. He was the one hugging him. The only one. And it felt _fucking right._  
That's at this moment that Hinata realized that Komaeda wasn't the only one who was constantly asking for more today. Even now, after he had fulfilled all of his requests, he still wanted more. He didn't know what exactly, but hugging wasn't enough. He was the actual spoiled brat here.  
He tried to relax, he wouldn't do anything Komaeda didn't want, especially after he finally accepted to rest.  
He was probably sleeping by now since the grip he had over his shirt was weaker.  
He felt proud for managing to do what even the Ultimate Nurse couldn't accomplish.  
  
Once Komaeda wasn't talking it was not this bad to hang out with him. He wasn't babbling incoherently, wasn't provoking, wasn't scheming anything, he was just... himself.  
That was fine with Hinata. _Komaeda being himself_. That was sweet. He wished he could see this more often.  
Now Hinata was sleepy too. He allowed his mind to wander between mere thoughts. Like how he should bring a water bottle to his cottage because he had been waking up dehydrated in the middle of the night lately, or how Kuzuryuu would react if he happened to step in the room right now. He smiled as he imagined who would creep him out now. He also thought about how calming it was to hear Komaeda's breath, and how he would like to keep hearing it forever, before his consciousness faded away.

* * *

  

                    When he woke up he had almost forgotten where he was. Lucky him that he managed to only let his body tense up and not moving away when he realized he was still holding Komada.  
Except the fact that their legs were pretty much tangled together now, neither of them had move in the slightest. Hinata felt a blush growing on his cheeks as he was wondering if yes or no detangling their legs would wake him up.  
The sensible part of his mind told him that he should make sure he rested as much as possible, while the sensitive part said that if he woke up as he was desperately trying to move away it would have been even more embarrassing.  
So he opted for the "stay-put" solution. After all, adding their legs to the hug wasn’t that worse, right..?  
Now he didn't know for how long he had been sleeping, and it was kind of dumb that he ended up sleeping because he wasn't the one who needed that and, he knew sleeping in the morning wasn't good for his sleeping schedule already messed up enough, but at least it hadn't been long enough for someone to come into the room and discover this... _horrifying scene_.  
That was a little relieving.  
"...nata-kun..?"  
The weak voice coming from below pushed him away from his thoughts. Komaeda had probably been awake for few seconds now but Hinata didn't noticed until he spoke.  
"Already awake?" his voice was soft.  
"... What about you...?" he was trying to rise his head but encountered some difficulty because of how tight Hinata was holding him.  
He loosened up his grip a little, realizing that Komaeda was probably suffocating because of him.  
Komaeda took this opportunity to look at him. He was looking a little better. A little. Or was it because of only being able to see some sleepy eyes covered with some hair?  
Despite his pitiful look, he was pretty cute Hinata thought.  
"... Are you hot...? Your face is all red..." his voice was muffled into Hinata' shirt. He was trying to bring one hand to his face to complement his point.  
Hinata slid a little to allow himself to be almost on the same level as the other boy.  
That seemed to surprise him as he noticed Komaeda was holding his breath.  
"Well, I am glued to a feverish person under two blankets after all." He kept his voice as low as possible.  
"I-I'm not sorry."  
Hinata smiled, he never had such "control" over the Ultimate Lucky Student's feelings. It was awesome. For once he wasn't the one being played with, although the idea of playing with Komaeda while he was in this state felt inappropriate. Well, he wasn't really playing with him, right? He was just some sort of _testing the limits without going too far_.  
He locked his forehead against Komaeda's, still smiling, as he moved the hand he had on his hips reaching out for the lonely lucky hand.  
When he found it, he tangled their fingers together.  
Komaeda seemed genuinely confused as his gaze moved from Hinata to their hand and vice-versa, but he didn't reject any of the contact.  
Everything was much easier when he was sick, Hinata thought.  
He was surprised about how adventurous he was today. He would have never believed it if someone told him he would take the decision to hold Komaeda's hand on his own.  
But here he was.  
Here they were.  
And Hinata was happy about that.  
He didn't even know he would until he experienced it, and frankly, the situation felt too right to start wondering now why it was so pleasant. He just decided to go for it and enjoy whatever moment he was having with Komaeda.  
Speaking of the devil, he was squeezing his hand and narrowing his eyes.  
"Hinata-kun..." he was whispering.  
"Yeah?"  
"Are you sick?" he sounded worried, or suspicious, maybe both.  
Hinata took some time before answering.  
"I don't think so, I feel pretty good right now.", well, he wasn't lying.  
"Then why are you doing this?", yep, he was definitely not believing him right now.  
"Doing what?"  
Komaeda didn't answer but let his gaze slowly run down Hinata's body. That made him slightly shiver.  
Oh, he was probably talking about the whole cuddling without asking stuff.  
"Eeeem..." he sounded unsure, "don't... you want it..?” all of his confidence was leaving him, and he cursed it for that betrayal.  
Komaeda seemed lost in his thoughts for a moment.  
When he finally spoke again, he was murmuring:  
"Of course I don't want it...", he squeezed their hands even more.  
Hinata felt a little relieved.  
"Then... don't question it."  
That didn't seem to calm him down but at least he wasn't talking anymore.  
He spent some time, seconds, maybe minutes, he didn't know, or care, looking into his eyes, thinking about when they started to be this deep, this mesmerizing.  
They seemed darker, emptier, less focused than usual, probably because of the disease.  
He wanted to ask him tons of questions right now. _Why him? How was he feeling about their position? Was it relaxing to be near him? Was he happy? Would he ask that again once he gets better?  
_ But all of them seemed inappropriate for a reason or another.  
Komaeda was fixing him too, his expression was neutral, but he did look relaxed, and judging by how he crushing his grip was against his hand, he probably didn't want to let go either. Hinata almost laugh at that.  
"Hey Komaeda..." words were coming out on their own.  
"Yes, Hinata-kun..?", he sounded curious.  
"That's nice, huh ?"  
He sensed Komaeda tense up under him as he quickly looked away, becoming redder.  
He had to admit he was a big mess right now, trying to hide his discomfort, red, eyes unfocused, hair messy, curled against Hinata.  
He felt some warmth grow into his chest. This was the _cutest mess_ he had ever seen.  
Without really noticing he had been moving, Hinata used his free hand to remove some hair on Komaeda's forehead and gently pressed his lips against it.  
And then he realized.  
Everything froze around him. Including Komaeda.  
He quickly pulled away.  
"H-hinata-kun..."  
"I-I'm sorry. I...huh... got carried away. I didn't mean to...." his heart was beating like it never did before.  
_Congratulations Hajime, you are a fucking moron._  
Komaeda blinked few times before actually starting to breathe again.  
"That's... not fine at all.".  
Damn, he was easier to understand with his disease, but it still felt really weird.  
He tried to focus on something right now, _anything_ other than Komaeda. How fucking cute he was. How much he liked hugging him. How badly he wanted to get closer again.  
Crap, the more he tried to avoid them, the more he was stuck into these thoughts.  
Obviously, he thought.  
Komaeda was silent before him but he was somehow... smiling...? Hinata didn't know if he was delirious right now.  
  
The little noise around them helped him to realize that he could hear footsteps in the hallway. At first he didn't paid much attention to it.  
And then he made the connection.  
That it was.  
Most certainly.  
Tsumiki.  
Coming.  
Right here.  
  
During a time that felt like the blink of an eye he pulled away, leaving the blankets, leaving Komaeda, leaving a gap between their hands.  
Before knowing it he was sitting on the chair like he was hours ago.  
He only managed to notice Komaeda's confused expression, eyebrows upturned, mouth slightly opened and his now-free hand reaching toward him, before they both heard the doorknob being turned. That was only for a second, but Hinata felt proud for being the source of that more than probable complaint that would have been heard if Tsumiki wasn't entering the room with her clumsy usual smile.  
"G-good afternoon..!" she seemed relieved to be able to greet them.  
"Hey Tsumiki." Hinata sounded natural saying this, as if nothing had happened, while, in fact, a lot did. He probably managed to look normal, even if he was extremely cold after the loss of contact and drenched by a weird mix of his and Komaeda's sweat. He was a little bother by her arrival but he guessed that had to happen at some point.  
So it was afternoon after all, he had spent more time here than he expected.  
He discretely looked at Komaeda who had put his arm down and was fixing Tsumiki with a slightly annoyed expression.  
_Epic._  
Hinata promised himself to remember this scene forever.  
"How is Komaeda-san..?" she was giggling, visibly happy that Hinata took the time to answer her salutation.  
"I guess it's not as bad as Kuzuryuu said... but his temperature is very high."  
"H-how thoughtful of you Hinata-san ! You even took the time to measure his body temperature...!"  
Hinata felt his blood rush toward his head. He was not sure, but he seemed to him that Komaeda was grinning right now.  
"Huh--- y-yeah. I mean, I guess I had to check his condition."  
"Hinata-kun has been the worse safe-keeper I could ever hope for to be frank.  
He didn't check my condition very thoroughly at all."  
Hinata would have hit him if he weren't dying next to him right now.  
Judging by Tsumiki's expression, or she believed Komaeda, or she didn't understand the obvious and totally false implication he had put in his words.  
Either way it seemed to Hinata that she couldn't speak the "lying-Komaeda".  
Well, that was for the best.  
"Th-thank you so much for looking after him Hinata-san, I was out for so long it must have been horrible to do my work..!"  
Hinata waved his hands and laughed a little to hide his nervousness.  
"No, not at all, time flew actually."  
"O-oh, I see..!" she looked relieved.  
"W-well, I will have to run some tests now, oh-! You can stay if you want Hinata-san..!"  
"That's... fine. I wouldn't like to get in your way." he was looking at Komaeda while saying that.  
"S-sure..! I will go look for the materials...!", with that she was gone.  
They were alone again.  
Hinata silently stood up. Now was a good time to go he figured.  
He slowly turned away before stretching his body. It felt great.  
"Well," he started "I have to go now," he wasn't looking at him "Get well Koma-"  
A hand gripped his wrist. He turned away to face him, not surprised, nor shocked, but a little sad he had to admit, some part of him didn't wanted to leave yet.  
"Hey..." his voice was softer  
No answer.  
"You want me to stay right?" he let that out with a little smile.  
"No.", he sighted.  
Hinata gently sat on the chair.  
"I have to go you know, Tsumiki had to get her job done."  
No answer again, he was avoiding eyes contact.  
Hinata sighted again, removing his hand from the grip, which seemed to annoy Komaeda, but instead of pulling away, he gently cupped his head with it, curling some hair with his fingers.  
It probably surprised the other boy, as he rose his head to show a disappointed and needy look. _Damn he is making that hard.  
_ Hinata tried to offer his best comforting smile.  
"How about I come back tomorrow morning? Like this I will still be able to spend time with you right? And we won't be bothered by anyone coming by. How does it sound?"  
Hinata thought it was a pretty fair deal.  
Komaeda seemed perplex at first and then thoughtful.  
"It sounds really bad."  
Hinata couldn't help but chuckle a little.  
"Then it's a deal." after all they had been through this morning, shaking hand seemed a lame way to seal their agreement, so he offered his pinky instead. That felt... more intimate, he guessed?  
Komaeda looked at it, more confused than ever.  
Hinata felt stupid, maybe that was too childish after all.  
"Pinky promise...?", why was he still trying again?  
"Oh !" Komaeda's eyes brightened a little as he delicately (as much as his condition allowed him to) wrapped their fingers together, "Pinky promise."  
  
Hinata thought he would never know if the white-haired boy was laughing because the whole situation was ridiculous or because he was actually happy.

* * *

 

             Minutes later Hinata was laying down on his own bed, wondering if that morning was one of the best or the weirdest situation he had to live on this island.  
He looked at the hand he used for his pact and softly chuckled.  
"Pinky promise, huh...? That's the best thing you could come up with Hajime...?"  
Yet he had to admit he was looking forward to tomorrow morning, maybe, just a little.

* * *

 

              The next morning, when Hinata entered the hospital he was alone, it was quite early after all. Tsumiki had already headed toward Komaeda's room.  
When he finally entered the room his first look was for him, he was still laying on the bed, but he was looking at him too, with his intense gaze. That made Hinata a little happy, he was still wanted here. He quietly talked with Tsumiki about his improvements before she went away to rest in the staff room.  
Hinata moved closer to Komaeda and sat on the chair.  
"How are you feeling today?"  
"Worse."  
"Oh, that's good to hear." Hinata gently wrapped his hand around Komaeda's. He felt his heart stink a little, he must have missed the contact.  
Komaeda squeezed back, visibly happy that Hinata decided to make the first move on his own.  
He still looked tired, so Hinata figured prolonging the conversation wasn't that much of a good idea. Suddenly he remembered something.  
"Oh, Komaeda, there is something I have to do." he silently stood up, "Don't worry it won't be long." he gave his best to show a confidant smile. That seemed to work as Komaeda let go of the hand pretty easily, not looking to worried about Hinata's words. He had promised right? So of course, he would be back.  
Hinata smiled one last time before stepping out of the room.  
  
  
As he was making his way through the entrance a weird detail caught his attention.  
The monitor they used to communicate with the other group was on.  
It was displaying a video.

  
In the end he never came back.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone ! This is my first fic, so I really look forward improving myself in writing. English isn't my first language so I probably made some mistakes, if ever you point out some of them, or you have advices you would like to share, please, feel free !  
> Hope you still liked it !


End file.
